Botanical classification cultivar designation: Nolanaxc3x97hybrida cultivar Nolgold.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nolana plant, botanically known as Nolanaxc3x97hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Nolgoldxe2x80x99.
The new Nolana is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dijon, France. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Nolanas with numerous flowers with attractive flower colors.
The new Nolana originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in May, 1995 of an unidentified selection of Nolana paradoxa, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with an unidentified selection of Nolana humifusa, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Nolana was selected as a single flowering plant from the resulting progeny from the cross-pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Dijon, France.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Foxley, Norfolk, United Kingdom since November, 1998 has shown that the unique features of this new Nolana are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Nolgold have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Nolgoldxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Nolgoldxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Uniform, low-growing, cascading and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely and continuous branching habit; short internodes; dense and bushy plant growth habit.
3. Freely flowering habit.
4. Blue violet and white bi-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Nolana can be compared to plants of the female parent, the unidentified selection of Nolana paradoxa. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Foxley, Norfolk, United Kingdom, plants of the new Nolana differed from plants of the female parent in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Nolana were more vigorous than plants of the female parent.
2. Plants of the new Nolana had smaller leaves than plants of the female parent.
3. Plants of the new Nolana had larger flowers than plants of the female parent.
4. Flower color of plants of the new Nolana was lighter than flower color of plants of the female parent.
Plants of the new Nolana can be compared to plants of the male parent, the unidentified selection of Nolana humifusa. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Foxley, Norfolk, United Kingdom, plants of the new Nolana differed from plants of the male parent in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Nolana were more vigorous than plants of the male parent.
2. Plants of the new Nolana had larger flowers than plants of the male parent.
Plants of the new Nolana can be compared to plants of the Nolana cultivar Bluebird, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Foxley, Norfolk, United Kingdom, plants of the new Nolana differed from plants of the cultivar Bluebird in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Nolana were more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Bluebird.
2. Plants of the new Nolana had shorter internodes than plants of the cultivar Bluebird.
3. Plants of the new Nolana flowered for a longer period of time than plants of the cultivar Bluebird.